Gliederung

Introduction

The importance of vertebral rotation in etiology and management of scoliosis is well recognized. The location and extend of axial rotation can provide considerable information on the nature of the deformity. With CT-scan we have a sensitive method to measure the vertebral rotation. This study shows the relation between main curvature and rotation of the apical and cranial and caudal neutral vertebra before and after instrumentation with the ART-System

Method

15 Patients with idiopathic scoliosis were studied to test the derotating effect after instrumentation the main curvature of the scoliotic spine. The evaluation of the patient records and radiographic mesurements were performed. From posteroanterior view, the Cobb angles of the primary and secondary curves were measured. Rotation of the apex vertebra of the primary and secondary curves were measured by CT scan, before and after operation.

Outcome

The thoracic primary curve was corrected from 53Â° to 32Â° (39%).

The rotation of the apical vertebra changed from 28Â° to 23Â°.

In contrast to the rotation we also measured the difference between the rotation of the cranial and apical vertebra and also between the caudal and apical vertebra. Rotation of the vertebra were nearly unchanged.

Conclusion

Oure purpose was not to explain the rotation of the vertebra, but to describe the relation between the axial rotation of the vertebra (measured in CT scan) and the frontal radiographic view. Based on the results of this study with a small number of patients, the ability of CT scan to describe the rotation is sufficient but not necessary.